On January 29, 2022, Brandon Wheat Kings U18 AAA forward Keenan Skrupa was battling for a loose puck along the boards when he was cross checked from behind and went head first into the boards. The play left Skrupa with a broken C1 vertebrae. He then spent the next 14 weeks in a neck brace with no activity. Week 15 saw him begin the rehab process and some light activities with his neck brace on. "Rehab was pretty straight forward, it was just easing back to daily life, light skating and light working out with a neck brace" Skrupa told bdnmb.ca. At the start of May was when he was finally able to be out of the neck brace for good and started strengthening his neck with some exercises. It was at this point he also resumed some non contact skating until the start of July when he finally received the all-clear for contact. "Getting back on the ice was so exciting for me, you couldn't wipe the smile off my face when I heard the news" Skrupa said. His plans to suit up this season with the Brandon Wheat Kings U18 AAA team once again. "I'm looking forward to having a good regular season this year with the team and transition that into the playoffs and most importantly trying to take home the championship" added Skrupa. While this years squad looks to be a really young group, Skrupa was quick to point out he sees a very skilled team that he hopes to be a leader with both on the ice and off. "I'd just like to thank all my teammates and coaches for helping the long process go so quickly for me with going to the rink everyday and putting a smile on my face, same goes with friends and family at home." ended Skrupa.

The U18 Westman Wildcats had a very successful campaign in 2021/22 capturing the U18 Provincial AAA Female Hockey League title. The team recently completed their training camp for the coming season and head coach Guy Williams told bdnmb.ca that he is really looking forward to seeing what this team can accomplish. "Our team expectations don’t change from year to year. We expect a 'First Place Effort' each and every day we step on the ice." said Williams. "We expect a team-first approach with a consistent effort and repeatable style of play.  If we play the right way every day we will give ourselves a chance to win." The team graduated three skaters from last year's squad (2 defensemen - Makenna Beard and Kelsey Page - and 1 forward - Emma Ramsey) and all 3 were character individuals who formed the team's leadership group. "They were tremendous leaders by example with a team first mentality and strong work ethic. They played in all situations for us and set a great example for our young team." Williams noted. According to Williams, the strengths this season will be their depth up front and their tenacity on the puck everywhere on the ice. The Wildcats will rely on a solid core of returning forwards led by their 4 grade 12 forwards (Hayley Kolosky, Paige Kozak, Brooklyn Franklin, Sophia Anderson) and their playoff MVP goaltender, Grace Glover. Williams added that Grace was invited to the Team Canada u18 Summer Development Camp and will suit up for the second straight year with Team Manitoba. They also return 4 defensemen from last season’s team as well. Billie Baranyk (05) returns to the team for her final year after a year absence from the program. "We have some exciting newcomers as well led by Paige Crossley (07) and Reese Shutte (08) up front as well as the Blaine twins (Madison-Forward and Haley-Defense, (07's)." Prior to the kickoff of the regular season on October 2, the team will play a number of exhibition games in Brandon and then participate in a tournament in Calgary.

Westman Radio Ltd. is proud to announce that Brandon Wheat Kings hockey is returning to Q Country 91.5 FM (Q Country) and 880 AM. Q Country has been the radio home of the Wheat Kings for a combined total of 27 years. Dating back to 1985, CKLQ has been synonymous with the most exciting moments in Wheat Kings’ history, including the Ed Chynoweth Cup Championships in 1996 and 2016 and Memorial Cup appearances in 2010 and 2016. “This is a great opportunity for Q Country listeners to re-engage with the Wheat Kings brand,” said Westman Radio Ltd General Manager Brian Wortley. “When people think Q Country and CKLQ, they think Wheat Kings Hockey. We were there when Marty Murray scored 43 goals in 93,’ and now he’s leading this franchise into a new era…an era that we’re proud to be a part of moving forward.” Fans can hear all 68 regular season games on Q Country 91.5 FM and 880 AM, and online at qcountryfm.ca. Each game night will include a pre-game and post-game show. “The Wheat Kings and Q Country go together, in my view,” said Wheat Kings General Manager Marty Murray. “As a young man, this is how I stayed in touch with the Wheat Kings. It's how everyone stayed connected to the team, and it just feels right to be going back.” The Wheat Kings open the WHL Regular Season on Saturday, September 24th, versus the Winnipeg ICE. You can hear all the action starting with the pre-game show at 6:30 p.m. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m.  

Too often in our community we find children with disabilities relegated to the sidelines, being a fan rather than a participant, simply because of the lack of opportunities present for them. VOLT Hockey is the perfect opportunity to change that for kids that just want to same opportunity as their peers. By establishing a program called VOLT Hockey in our community, it will allow children to be a participant rather than just a fan. It will allow them to be part of a team. It will allow them to play in a sport where their disability is not debilitating and most importantly, it will provide them an outlet to be social, make friends and have fun in a safe and inclusive environment. VOLT Hockey is an accessible form of hockey, played in a specially designed Hockey Sport Chair by people with a variety of disabilities including Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Osteoporosis and Dwarfism. VOLT Hockey is played by over 50 teams in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden and now, it’s reaching communities in North America and having the ability to put Brandon on the map in Canada as one of the few in Canada at the grassroots level. VOLT Hockey is the ultimate team sport for physically disabled children and young adolescents. It is played by children with many different types of disability from around the age of six. What they all have in common is the love for speed and the appreciation of the community and friendships across the clubs. Many players deal with great physical limitations in their everyday lives. But on the VOLT hockey court they only face challenges in the form of opponents and teammates all the while feeling like part of a team in an inclusive environment. If you would like more information, would like to volunteer or donate, please email us at Westmanvolthockey@gmail.com

Looking to buy-trade-sell some sports cards or memorabilia? CK Sports Cards will be holding a 1-day show at the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre (3550 Victoria Avenue) on Saturday October 22, 2022 from 10am-4pm. Come check out vendors that will be showcasing cards and memorabilia from all you favorite sports. Their first show in Brandon (July 30) had 12-15 vendors including a couple from Saskatchewan and one from Toronto. Admission tickets are available at the door for $2 or online on their website for $1. Vendors interested in setting up a table can contact the host here.